Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts at Houghton Library are described in HOLLIS, the Harvard Library catalog.
You can browse Houghton manuscripts by their call number (referred to here as their classification) by clicking on Starts With / Browse on the top menu in HOLLIS, selecting Browse by Call Number - Other, and entering the classification - for example MS Lat.
Houghton manuscripts are divided into several classifications and include language and subject classifications, as well as “named” classifications.
Subject/Language Classifications
- MS Dutch
- MS Eng (English)
- MS Fr (French)
- MS Ger (German)
- MS Gr (Greek)
- MS Ital (Italian)
- MS Judaica
- MS Lat (Latin)
- MS Port (Portugese)
- MS Span (Spanish)
- MS Syriac
Classifications can be both language and subject classifications. For example, MS Eng 736, Statutes of the Order of the Garter, is written in Latin. MS Gr 23, the tragedies of Euripides, is a Latin translation. MS Lat 235, a medical, astrological and alchemical miscellany, includes recipes in Middle English.
Named Classifications
- MS Riant, Richardson
- MS Typ (Typography)
- MS Widener
- MS Inc (Many of Houghton’s incunabula—15th century printed books—have extensive annotation and so are given a manuscript classification)
Users are encouraged to use digital reproductions and microfilm copies of pre-1600 manuscripts. Due to their age and physical condition, the library tries to limit use of pre-1600 manuscript materials. Links to digitized manuscripts can be found in an item’s HOLLIS record. Please contact a Houghton Librarian to request permission to use an original pre-1600 manuscript.